“Family is a big thing to me,” she said in the release. “I was in a foster home when I was younger. On 9/11, I saw the firefighters and decided there is no greater gift than to give of yourself.”

Capt. Tim Zelenak was the officer in charge of the course. He said his greatest satisfaction was turning out great firefighters for the department and the community.

“It's very unusual for a volunteer fire department to conduct its own academy but it's worth the effort because we get new volunteer firefighters with a better, more standardized education that meets state requirements,” Tarter said in the release.